Escape Is Futile, My Dear
by XxShinigami-EmpressxX
Summary: My name? I don't have an official one, but I am called "Akeldama." I am a monster. The crimes I have committed are so horrid, I am forced to flee for my life. One day, I met Stanford Pines whom said he could help me control my urges to kill. I foolishly believed him. I should have just kept running, because now a dream demon is after me for my powers, and he refuses to let me go...
1. Prologue

**Year: 1763.**

 **Location: Unknown.**

 **~0~**

 _A low rumble, similar to a giggle, echoed eerily through a strangely desolate town. Rodents scurried about the streets, desperate to find cover from the threat that was treading its way ever so closer. The aged cobblestone roads were barren other than the multitudes of debris and dismembered, bloody appendages that scattered them._

 _Crows swarmed the area, many of them landing to feast on the flesh of any uncovered body parts- whether they be human or animal- their delighted caws echoing from the destroyed buildings' structures._

 _Even with the horrid scene covering the town, the moon still showed its face, the clouds refusing to cover the ivory sphere from shedding its once soothing light upon the town._

 _In the distance, a long shadow began to emerge from one of the buildings, its shape at first undistinguished. The head of the shadow donned hair that was unkempt and thrown every which way, as if in a struggle. Its arms were long and spindly and proportioned in a way that wasn't human; the arms seemed to drag along the ground. The legs were slightly shorter, and its back hunched, the sight similar to an ape._

 _The giggling sounds became louder as the shadow grew larger. The creature who was creating said shadow trudged along the cold cobblestone road as if it had all the time in the world. It was as if the countless corpses surrounding it were of no meaning; as if the nightmare around it were an everyday occurrence._

 _ **"...warned them, I did,"**_ _the voice cut itself off with another ominous laugh._ _ **"I warned them~"**_

 _The voice sounded like a broken record of a song, scratchy and at mixed volumes. It was as if multiple people were speaking at once._

 _ **"I warned them not push me too far~"**_

 _A low, empty cackle sounded through the air, increasing the fear of all the insignificant life forms around the creature. The crows, however, seemed to duck their heads in respect when the creature got close to them._

 _ **"The smell of the decaying flesh of my abusers... hehehe... brings me a deranged sense of joy~"**_

 _The chuckle sounded again, louder and more menacing this time. It continued to rise in volume until it was a maniacal guffaw._

 _ **"My friends pick at your flesh with such vigor; you are now their prey. Don't you feel honored?"**_

 _Another crazed laugh sounded._

 _ **"If it were my choice, I'd have given you a fate worse than my friends' bellies~ Your pitiful "Lord" knows how you filthy swine would have deserved it..."**_

 _The creature continued to walk, a wide shark-toothed grin spreading across its face, the moon's light reflecting upon its wicked grin to give it an even more horrendous aura. Its wide ovals for eyes were crinkled with amusement; the whites of the creature's orbs a bright blood red, and its irises glowing an eerie silver shade. They glistened with crazed glee, showing no remorse whatsoever for the creature's actions._

 _ **"The lot of you screamed for your "God", as I ended your miserable lives..."**_

 _The grin, if it were possible, got even wider, as the creature turned around and surveyed the damage it's done with its glowing silver eyes._

 _ **"There is no "God" here,"**_ _the creature rumbled, its smile widening to even more disturbing extremes._

 _ **"There is only...**_ **me** _ **."**_

 _The crows cawed loudly, before flying off in a frenzy. Thousands covered the town and sky as they soared._

 _Once the crows finally cleared, the creature had disappeared with them._


	2. Hidden Devil

**I do NOT own Gravity Falls, or any characters, places, etc. associated with said show. **_**ALL THINGS Gravity Falls are the COPYRIGHTED property of ALEX HIRSCH**_ **. No money will be made with the creation of this story, nor is it intended to do so at any point. It is merely a fan-made story.**

 **I own only my OCs, this plot-line and all other unrecognizable aspects that may be shown in this story. Thank you, and enjoy the read.**

 _ **PS: Shout outs to those who have reviewed my story so far! You are very much appreciated! Thank you!**_

* * *

 **Year:** 1958

 **Location:** Wickaboxet State Forest, Rhode Island

* * *

 _ **Unknown P.O.V...:**_

I stumbled weakly through the forest shrubbery, trying my hardest to ignore the not-so-subtle ache in my midsection. I held my filthy clawed hands against my nose, deliberately breathing through my mouth. I refused to inhale the air around me; I was much too close to human civilization to risk doing so. If I am not careful, my _other_ half could take over, and _that_ would be disastrous for the humans. The chaotic scenes I've witnessed many times before would repeat itself, and I couldn't _bear_ to see that happen again.

I continued moving on through the area, careful not to make too much noise for fear of attracting humans or other creatures native to the forest. As I blindly padded through the dense vegetation, I heard the distinct sound of rushing water, and I hoped I was near a river. I was parched; I licked my maw in anticipation of a long, cool drink.

After a while of following the sounds of the water, my stomach made a long, demanding growl. I stopped dead in my tracks, listening to the sound of my stomach echo through the area. I knew what _that_ meant... I began to panic.

 **Uh-oh~ Sounds like somebody's hungry again~ Hehehe...**

"...N-no," I whispered covering my mouth with my hands. I shook my head in a futile attempt to expel the fiendish voice from my head. _Her_ voice. "No!"

 **Yoooou hesitated~ C'mon, don't you just want to...** _ **TASTE IT**_ **? Even a** _ **little**_ **bit?**

 **All you have to do is** _ **LET. ME. TAKE. CONTROL~!**_

"No!" I said a bit more forcefully, shaking my head. "No, I'm _not_ hungry! I _refuse_ to do it a-again...!" my voice cracked at the end, and I let out a low whimper as my stomach growled once more, this time louder than before.

I curled into a ball where I stood on the muddy forest ground, my head resting between my knees. I shook in fear and remorse, knowing that it was fruitless to try and keep my _other_ side in. To keep _her_ in... but I had to try.

"I don't want to be a monster," I weeped pitifully. "Please don't make me do it again..."

 _A silhouette with a large, shark-toothed grin flashed in front of my vision. Glowing silver eyes peered right into my own crystalline blue ones, before flashing away altogether._

My vision returned to normal and I sniffled audibly, nearly on the verge of full on sobbing. I curled tighter into a ball, clutching the sides of my head to try and slow the transformation down, even though I knew it was impossible to do so. I swallowed thickly, my fingers twitching every once in a while, as I tried to suppress the urge.

To _hunt_...

To _kill_...

To _destroy_...

To _devour_ human flesh in order to quench my hunger.

Like a _monster_.

I let out another soft whimper as my stomach growled loudly once more, the sound of its echoing through the area reminded one of an alarm. The sound meant danger was near, and the forest grew eerily silent. I couldn't hear any more animals, and the wind seemed to hold its breath as well; waiting in anticipation for whatever was to happen next. Clenching my eyes shut, I curled even tighter into my ball.

 _I_ was the being the forest animals were fearing.

 _I_ was the creature that was about to bring decimation to whom- and what- ever was nearby.

 _I_ was the _monster_.

And I _hated_ myself for the fact that _I_ was the one causing all of this mayhem.

 **You cannot ignore what you are,** _ **Akeldama~**_

" _D-DON'T CALL ME THAT!_ " I cried, snapping my head up. I howled in agony as a familiar sharp pain seared through my skull, black dots appearing at the corners of my vision, threatening to take me back to that dark abyss. The place where I am helplessly forced to watch _her_ barbarous butchery of the human race.

 _Oh, how I_ _feared_ _the abyss... how I_ _hated_ _it._

 _Her silhouette reappeared and it shook with maniacal laughter, silver eyes turning into curved slits from its mirth. Her cackle was demented, haunting, and her silver eyes gleamed with unmistakable mischievous intent. The intent to kill._

 **I smell humans nearby~! I can hear their hearts pumping in fear~**

 **Oh how I revel in that; those doltish meat-sacks don't even know what they're afraid of!**

 **But they'll learn just what to fear soon enough~!**

"No... please..."

 **Let me end the ache in your body, already.**

 **You and I** _ **both**_ **know that you can't take the hunger withdrawal symptoms.**

"I won't let you take over again! I don't... I-I don't want t-to ki-kill anymore..." I sobbed, tears falling down my cheeks.

 **Don't want to kill...? HA!** _ **DoN'T MakE ME LAugh!**_

 _Her voice grew diabolic and mocking towards the end. Her silhouette flashed in my mind again, the taunting smile clearly visible._

 **Slaughtering those wretched mortals is the ONLY thing you live for, Akeldama!**

 _ **YOU CAN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT HUMAN BLOOD**_ **,** _ **AnD YOu knOW It**_ **!**

"I don't want to... I don't want to hurt people anymore..." My voice hitched. I shook my head in refusal, not willing to obey my instinctual desire to cause human bloodshed.

 _She emitted a chilling growl of displeasure that sent a wave of fear throughout my entire body._

 **I think maybe more... _PeRSuASIoN_... is due, then? **

**Let me show you just how _SatISFYiNG_ it is to _HuNT HUmanS_ ~! **

_**HahAHhaHaAaAA**_ **~!**

I screamed, clutching my head as sudden and _excruciating_ pulses threatened to rip my skull wide open. The _other_ me was trying to break free, and she was _succeeding_.

I panicked, jumping up, and trying to move as far away from the scent of the humans as I could. Another sharp pain spread through my head, and I cried out, staggering, before falling to the floor. I shook my head furiously, as I tried my best to crawl away. I had to keep moving; I couldn't let her take over.

I couldn't let her hurt anyone.

I couldn't let her kill.

 _Not again_...

Another sharp pain arose, causing my vision to blur dangerously for a moment. I clamped my eyes shut with a groan, rubbing my eyes with my hands. My vision went black for a moment, but returned to normal after a few seconds. She was almost here.

 _She was winning._

"No! St-stop! Stay... I-In... _THERE_!" I screeched, stumbling to regain my footing, only to trip over an above-ground root. I fell face first into the muddy ground, and next ting I knew, my vision had gone completely black.

"NO!" I yelped. I was back in the abyss. "No, no, no!" I screamed, looking around for a way to escape. It was futile. I was stuck here until she let me go, but I refused to give up. "Let me out! Don't! _Please_!"

 _Her voice echoed through the black space, a smile clearly in her voice..._

 **Yooooou lose, once again~ _HeHEhEheEEeH_...**


	3. A New Discovery

**Year:** 1958

 **Location:** Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey

* * *

"Hey, Ford! Wait for me, will ya?"

"Quit being such a slowpoke and hurry up, Stan! Come on!"

Two young identical twin boys, around eight years of age, bickered back and forth as they traversed the sandy ground of Glass Shard Beach. The scrawnier of the two twin boys, Stanford Filbrick Pines, better known as "Ford", looked back at his slightly younger brother. His eyebrows were furrowed in an impatient frown as he motioned ahead of himself with one of his six-fingered hand.

"Come _on_ , Stan! It's over this way! We gotta hurry if we want to find it in time!"

"Alright, already! Hold your horses... Ugh, what are we even looking for, anyways?" The larger, stockier twin, Stanley Pines, grumbled. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and kicked at a discarded soda can, making it fly a short distance ahead of himself. Once he caught up to it again, he kicked it once more, and repeated the process.

"If my research is correct... then we should find a mysterious pearl somewhere around here," Ford said excitedly, examining the sand around him. He had a black book clutched to his chest, the title reading ' _Mythological Wonders of the World_.' Ford's eyes glittered excitedly as he searched for abnormalities in the sand.

"It's said to grant the wish of whoever claims it, but we only have until dusk tomorrow to find it. If we don't find it before then, it'll turn into sand, and it won't reemerge for another three hundred years. Not only that, but it'll appear in a _completely different location_! Pretty cool, huh, Stan?" Ford inquired as he looked back at his twin with a large grin on his face.

"...Eh? Who-the-what, now?" Stan questioned distractedly, picking his ear with his pinky finger. His eyes were half-lidded and bored looking as he flicked the residue of his ear from his finger.

"Were you even _listening_ to me?!" Ford bellowed, eyebrows furrowing in his ire. A pout grew on the boy's face, his foot stomping on the ground.

"Of course I was listening!" Stan cried indignantly. Ford glowered at his twin. "Then what did I _just say_?"

"Eh... something about a... magic... conch shell?"

Ford's face burned an angry red shade and a scowl formed on his young face. He glared darkly at his twin as he fumed. " _Why, you_ -!"

Stan cut off his brother's oncoming rant with a laugh. "Aw, come on, bro, I was just kiddin'! We're lookin' for that mysterious pearl that appears every three hundred years," Stan laughed harder, pointing a finger at his slightly older brother. " _Jeez_ , Ford! You make it so _easy_ to mess with you!"

Ford's ears tinted pink in embarrassment, and Stan laughed even harder at his brother's state. Clutching his stomach, the younger of the twin boys wiped away an imaginary tear from his eye. Ford, in turn, huffed and clutched the book tighter in his small hands.

"Y-yeah, well... we gotta-"

"Find the pearl. I know, I know," Stan finished for him, his laughter dying down to a low chuckle. "Let's hurry up, then, yeah? Mom'll be expectin' us home, soon."

"Right!"

* * *

 _ **Akeldama's P.O.V...:**_

" _AUGH_!" I yelped, inhaling a mouthful of salt water as my head slammed into a large rock. The shock of the hit forced my eyes open, and the water stung at my sensitive eyes, forcing me to close them again on instinct. Though the sea water effectively muffled my scream of pain, the salt in it intensified the searing pain in my skull a thousand-fold.

My blood pooled out of my head wound as the unmerciful ocean threw me this way and that. I reached out blindly, trying my best to grab onto something- anything- but nothing came within my reach.

I fought with all my strength to reach the surface, my sensitive eyes blurred and burning because of the salt in the water, but I couldn't figure out which way was up. Finally, by some miracle, I managed to finally break the surface of the raging ocean for just long enough to take a quick, desperate gulp of air. I heard a loud clap of thunder, before I was forcefully pulled back down again, my tears and screams of terror lost in the mass of raging liquid.

The waves lifted me high into the air before throwing me back down onto a bed of rocks. A rather sharp rock pierced my side, causing my life fluid to spray out of the wound like a faucet. Another scream ripped from my throat as I clutched at the injury. My breathing was labored and weak and it hurt to take in a breath of air.

I roared my agony to the sky, digging the long, sharp claws of my free hand into the rocks as if my life depended on it. I clutched the rocks tightly, crying out in pain as powerful waves continuously crashed against me, the salty liquid going into my wound and burning it terribly.

The rocks were already slick, but they were getting even more so. I was beginning to lose my grip. More tears slipped from my eyes in fear of an unavoidably probable watery demise.

' _I should have fought harder... I-I should have been stronger...'_

I lifted my head up to the dark, cloudy sky, watching as it lit up with bright flashes of lightning, and crackled with loud roars of thunder. The storm was getting even heavier. It was at that moment that I had come to a full realization:

 _I was going to_ _ **die**_ _. This ocean was going to_ _ **kill me**_ _._

Suddenly, the largest wave I've ever seen rose up high into the air. It was coming towards me. Fast. I stared at in fear, my eyes growing wide as it soared closer and closer to me.

"N-no..." I gulped. "I don't want... w-want to _die_!" I yelled, trying my best to gain my grip back. It didn't work; the wave crashed into me, and my head was brutally smashed into the rock I was holding onto.

My vision went black once more as the current swept me away.

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY** **...:**

 _ **Ford's P.O.V...:**_

"I have a good feeling about today, Stan! Let's get moving!" I cried excitedly, pulling on my twin's arm. He grunted playfully but followed me, muttering "I'm coming, I'm coming!" under his breath.

"Boys! Make sure you're home before dinner! You know how your father is," our mom called.

"Yes, mom!"

Twenty minutes later, Stan and I found ourselves on different parts of the beach. We- more like _I_ \- decided- err, _insisted_ \- it was best to split up in order to cover more ground while searching for the pearl.

"Where could it be...?" I whispered to myself. Wracking my brain, I frustratingly tried to figure out any possible hiding spots for the pearl. I shifted my position a bit in order to analyze another patch of sand.

 _'I wonder if Stan is doing any better...'_ I thought.

As I inspected the new area, I noticed something shine in my peripheral vision. I did a double-take at the sight of it. My interest peaked at what I saw.

"What is _that_?" I murmured curiously. My first mission momentarily forgotten, I stood and eagerly walked towards a strange discoloration in the sand. Kneeling close to it, I peered down at the new discovery.

It was a strange, inky substance soaked into the sand, staining it a dark purple. Not only that, but the area it was stained in made the sand sparkle brightly- similar to a disco ball- even though my shadow was over it. More droplets of the liquid led towards a cave near the pier. "Is this... _blood_?" I questioned myself. "If it is, who- or _what_ \- does it belong to?"

Standing up, I looked around for Stan, but he was nowhere in sight.

 _'He must have slunk away and went back home while I wasn't looking,'_ I thought bitterly, before shrugging my shoulders. ' _Oh well... More fun for me!'_ I looked back down at the blood in the sand. Taking a deep breath, I slowly began to follow the trail.

I entered the cave, squinting my eyes in order to see better in the dimly lit area. I found the trail of blood again, and to my surprise, it was _glowing_. While the stained sand sparkled outside, an actual _glow_ was emerging from the blood in here. A sound of awe escaped my mouth as I gazed at the strange liquid.

 _'What could have created this?'_ I wondered excitedly _. 'A Nymph? An Ankou? A Barguest? Ooh! Maybe it was a Bugul-Noz! I've_ _ **always**_ _wanted to see one in person!'_

I bent down and stared at the ooze in front of me with an enthusiastic grin. It didn't stain the rock like I expected it to. Instead, it sat on top of it like oil in a glass of water. It was interesting... _fascinating_ , even.

Reaching out, I pressed the pad of my fore and middle fingers onto the liquid. Almost immediately, a tingling sensation erupted through my fingers. The feeling was so sudden and so _intense_ , that I yelped, jumped up, and frantically wiped the liquid off on my shorts. The tingling sensation lingered for a few seconds longer, before disappearing altogether.

"How strange..." I muttered softly as I looked at my fingers. They weren't disfigured or anything- anymore than my usual six fingers, mind you- they looked the same. No heads growing out of my fingers, no radioactive powers, nothing. But still, I have to be careful; I don't exactly know what this... _blood? ooze?_...really is.

"Alright, so it's look, but don't touch. I wonder what made this trail...?"

I turned ahead, my eyes following the glowing droplets. I pushed my glasses back up the bridge of my nose and gripping my book tighter in my hands, before trudging further into the cave.

 _'Boy, is Stan missing out!'_

I walked for a little while before I noticed the glowing blood stains beginning to get larger and brighter. I was getting close to the source. As I neared the end of the cave, a sinking feeling began to wash over me. An ominous and subconscious tick in the back of my mind telling me to turn around and run out of there.

It was _fear_. And it was telling me to _flee_.

But I couldn't do that. I _had_ to see what was at the end of this cave. It was an adventure. It was a _mystery_ , and I could be the one to solve it. I could be the discoverer of something previously unknown.

I could be famous.

 _'And I could make my father proud of me, for once.'_

At that final thought, I let a small smile grace my face. _'Yeah... dad'll finally speak to me with a full sentence...'_

With that, I'd made my decision.

I gulped down my fear, and clutched my book so tightly in my determination, that my knuckles turned white. I forced myself to continue following the increasingly growing blood trail. I'm going to see this through to the end. So my father will _finally_ acknowledge me. _Yeah_...

Continuing on my journey, I soon stopped, and found myself frozen. I had found the source of the trail.

There was a figure sitting on the floor, its back turned to me. Although it looked like it was curled within itself, the figure before me was huge, easily towering over me by at least seven feet. It had wild and unkempt blue-grey hair with speckles of black throughout; the hair fell to the end of the figure's shoulder blades. From what I could see, its body was strangely contorted, and every bone in it's body was visible, making it look both unhealthy and creepy. Its inky black skin was stretched grossly over its body, bringing the term " _skin and bones_ " to a disgustingly realistic level. It had various wounds, scars and scratches along every inch of its figure.

And oozing from many of the nasty-looking wounds... was the glowing violet blood.

"What _are_ you...?" I whispered in awe.

 **Then, with a shocked yelp, the figure turned around to face me...**


	4. It Begins

**[A/N]: Okay, first thing's first: I'm sorry for the near three week hiatus. It was like every time I tried to work on this chapter, I was called away for some reason or another. But I'm back now, with a new chapter. Hopefully next time, I won't have to wait so long to post.**

 _ **To the Guest who reviewed me last chapter: **_**I thank you for the advice. I didn't realize that about the title until you said something. Since the last update, I've been thinking about another title for the story, but I haven't come up with anything that was good so far. So you'll have to endure the title a little while longer, while I think of a better one. :) If you find any other mistakes, or want to give me advice on anything else, please feel very free to speak to me! :) Thanks again!**

 **That goes for the rest of you as well. Now enough of my rambling, and on with the story! ^u^**

* * *

It Begins

* * *

 _ **Akeldama's P.O.V...:**_

 **"What are you...?"**

I jumped at the unexpected sound of a voice, and swiveled my head around to see who was there. My eyes were wide, and my heart was thumping in my chest a mile a minute.

Whoever it was let out a gasp at my sudden movement, and I was able to zero in on the intruder. My mouth dropped open a bit in surprise, and the intruder squeaked at the sight of my long, sharp teeth.

 _It was just a little child..._

We stared each other down for what seemed like forever, before the child finally blinked. In the millisecond it took him to complete that small action, I had- _painfully, might I add_ \- spun myself around in order to face him full on. The child jumped and let out a short scream at the sudden movement. His eyes widened behind his glasses and he took a step back, sputtering nonsense in his angst. I tilted my head at him, closing my maw to prevent further hysteria. I couldn't risk scaring the child away. Not _now_ of all times.

Although the child alone was harmless to me, he would go and alert his parents and other adults if I were to frighten him off. That could lead to huge trouble for me, especially because I am not well enough to flee at the moment. I have to be careful...

"C-can you... talk?" the child questioned. I continued to stare at him. My wide, unblinking eye was analyzing every inch of the boy. "Can you understand me?"

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded at him.

His eyes widened and he grinned at me. "You can? _Amazing_! My name is Stanford Pines! But you can just call me Ford... or Stan... or Stanford..." Stanford chuckled nervously, "Eh, it's up to you, really. So," his grin widened if that were even possible. "Who are you? _What_ are you? Do you have magical powers? If so, what are they?" He questioned before letting out an excited squeal. "Are you a Bugul-Noz?"

I blinked. ' _B-Bugul-Noz? How did he know about those? Who in the world could have told him about Bugul-Nozzes? '_

"If you _are_ a Bugul-Noz, let me just say: I don't think you're hideous. Actually, I've been interested in your kind ever since I read about you in my town library! Oh!" Stanford began to dance in place, as his excitement began to overload. "I have so many questions for you! I heard that you were the only one of your kind, what happened to the rest of the Bugul-Nozzes? Why do you live in the forest? I thought you were living in Britain? Why are you in the United States? Why-"

" _Calm yourself_ , little one," I muttered with the kindest voice I could manage. Goodness gracious this kid could talk. The child stopped his overeager rambling and stared at me with wide, awe-struck eyes.

"Y-you..." he gaped. "You spoke! You really spoke to me! _Incredible_!"

I nodded my head slightly in response, before closing my eyes. I tensed my jaw, trying to think of the best way to kindly ask the child to leave without upsetting him. I could sense his excitement forming in waves and I frowned. If only he knew exactly what I was. He would be running in terror instead of grinning at me.

' _These humans were supposed to sense the danger I posed. They were supposed to sense the threat that I was. This child... Stanford... was strange.'_

"What is your name? What are you? A Bugul-Noz, maybe?" Stanford continued to ask me the same questions over and over again, and in all honesty, I found myself both slightly amused and annoyed at his curiosity.

Again with the Bugul-Noz question. What is it with this child and his interest in Bugul-Nozzes?

"Bugul-Noz? No. I am no Bugul-Noz." I shook my head. "Definitely not."

' _What is it with this child and Bugul-Nozzes in the first place? A Bugul-Noz would actually be an_ improvement _to what_ I _am.'_ I thought grimly. Stanford's shoulders slumped, and a small frown formed on his small face at my blunt answer.

"Oh..." Stanford sighed. I sensed his disappointed aura draft out in waves, but then he surprised me by perking up once more and staring at me with a large smile. "That's okay! What are you then? Can you tell me?"

I frowned, lowering my eyelid. I stared at my long, skeletal claws, trying to think of a better explanation than " _A nameless demon who strives for the complete annihilation of the human race_."

"I-I... Well..." I gulped nervously.

 _What... am_ I _? Can he really not see it? Is this child really that oblivious? Is he truly that innocent to not be able to see the_ _ **horrific demonic creature standing right in front of him**_ _?!_

"Are you okay...?" Stanford questioned suddenly, taking a small step forward. The sound of his voice brought me out of my thoughts once more, and I moved my gaze to him once more. Stanford was obviously still intimidated by me- as anyone should be. When he moved, I took notice of the rather thick book in his arms. Based of the title of the book, Stanford was interested in the mystical anomalies of the world. I felt my body tense.

 _To him, this was just a fun adventure, a new discovery. He just sees me as a strange creature he'll tell his friends stories about. He won't understand the consequences of his actions, should he do that. Telling his friends will lead to an adult being notified sooner or later, and if I'm not fully healed by then, it'll be my doom. While children would find me to be an interesting new toy, the adults would immediately go for the torches and pitch forks._

I shivered at the thought of another beating from the mortals. Stanford asked me once more if I was alright, and I shivered again at the danger the child could bring to me. I needed to get away. I needed to leave this place as soon as possible.

I had to get away before _she_ had the opportunity to take over again.

Reluctantly, almost as if my mind wanted to torment me further, I recalled moments that _she_... that _I_... caused destruction, pain and torment. _I_ am dangerous. _I_ have blood on my hands- figuratively and literally- that belonged to innocent mortals. _I_ was a monster. _I_ was a threat.

To Stanford...

To this town...

To the world.

 _Help! Monster!_

 _What is that thing?!_

 _Mommy! Mommy! Help mee-AAAAAH!_

 _NO! My baby! You... YOU MONSTER!_

 _Help! HELP ME!_

 _Why would I ever befriend a beast like you?!_

 _Kill it! Kill it!_

 _Don't let it get away! Die, devil!_

 _Murderer!_

 _AKELDAMA HAS RETURNED!_

"...Hello? Hey!" I snapped my head down. I immediately locked eyes with Stanford. I had almost forgotten he was there for a moment. I was gasping for breath, trying my best to forget the memories and come back to right now. Clutching my still rapidly beating heart with my large, clawed hands, I shut my eye tightly. A groan of misery escaped me, and I found myself curling into a ball once more.

Another cry left my maw, and I felt tears begin to form at the corners of my eye. _Visions of my other self slicing through humans as if they were nothing and devouring their bodies whole filled my vision. All I could comprehend was her infernal laughter echoing endlessly as she continued her quest of human genocide._

The tears slipped down my sunken, bloody face.

Suddenly, I felt a warm hand touch my arm, and I forced myself to hold back a shriek of surprise. Stanford must have gotten even closer to me at some point in time, because he _touched_ me.

He. _Touched_. Me.

 _His_ skin touched _mine_.

 **Mmm... Lunch time, already?**


End file.
